The Inevitability of Betrayal
by souloflead
Summary: AU. In the midst of sixth year, the war is reaching its height under Voldemort's terror. Draco and Harry have faced countless betrayals already, but the worst has yet to come. "Hello, Draco," she said, smirking as she pulled off her silver mask. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, folks!  
**

**So, this new story was co-written with my two lovely betas, Snape'sPaige394 and AW Science Geek. Hope you all enjoy!**

_Harry looked around in wonder at the assortment of robes. Hagrid had told him to stay in Madame Malkin's and look around while he went next door to do some other shopping. He had also told him to pick out a robe or two, but Harry had no idea where to start. _

_He was so absorbed in watching a clerk's wand levitate a robe off the shelf that he walked right into someone else. Somehow his leg had tripped the boy, because he was sprawled on the floor in front of him, robes strewn about at his feet. _

"_Oh, God, I'm so sorry," Harry said worriedly, holding his hand out to help him up. The boy's hair was white blonde and his eyes were an unusually striking shade of silver, blinking confusedly at him. "Are you alright?"_

"_No, sorry, that was my fault," the boy said. "I wasn't watching where I was going." He eyed Harry inquisitively. "Are you getting robes for Hogwarts, too?"_

"_Apparently," Harry responded. "You?"_

"_I'm here with my father," he explained. "Unfortunately."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_People don't really like me very much. Especially when my father's around," the boy elaborated. _

"_Why not?"_

"_He's not very nice to people," the boy said. "My name's Draco Malfoy."_

"_Well, I've never heard of the name Malfoy," Harry told him, neglecting to mention that there was no way he could have heard of that name before today. _

"_Are you a muggleborn?" Draco asked curiously, tilting his head to the side._

_Harry shook his head. _

"_Are your parents shopping with you, then?"_

_Harry swallowed. "My parents died when I was a baby."_

_Draco's eyebrows drew together. "That's horrible. I can't imagine not having parents."_

"_Is your father nice to you?" he asked. He'd always wondered what it would be like to live with family, how much better it'd be to live with his parents other than the Dursleys. _

_Draco shrugged. "I don't see him all that often. He's away on business most of the time. It's usually just me and my mum."_

"_Harry!" he heard Hagrid shout, and he turned around quickly. "Come on, now. You don't want to be associating with a Malfoy."_

_Harry saw Draco's face fall in disappointment. "I guess I'll see you at school." He turned to walk out of the shop, a robe tucked into the crook of his arm. _

_Harry grabbed his arm immediately. "Wait," he said, thinking on his feet. "Sit on the train with me?"_

"_Really?" Draco asked, as if he thought Harry was joking._

"_Yeah, mate," Harry responded, grinning. _

_Despite Hagrid's best efforts, Draco was dragged along to the train station. Harry asked him if his father would mind, but he only shrugged and grabbed his bags. They raced to the end of the car and got the last empty compartment. _

_Draco taught Harry about the wonders of wizard candy, offering to buy him chocolate frogs and acid pops. His eyes widened when Harry pulled out his own bag full of galleons, but thankfully he didn't ask where the money had come from. They spent most of their time trading stories. Draco was very interested in what it was like living in the muggle world, and Harry wanted to know what it had been like growing up a wealthy only child. The time passed by quickly, and after a while they were interrupted by the glass door to their compartment sliding open. A bushy-haired girl pushed her way in, plopping herself down on a seat. _

"_We should probably be getting our robes on," she said. She looked at both of them, raising her eyebrows imperiously. "I'm Hermione Granger."_

_Neither Draco nor Harry said anything, too shocked that this girl had burst into their compartment and demanded they put on their robes. _

_She suddenly gasped, pointing at Harry. "You're Harry Potter, aren't you?"_

_He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah, I suppose. Is there anything you need?"_

_She looked distinctly put out. "Sorry, it's just… well, I haven't anywhere to sit. But I'll leave if you want."_

_Harry didn't answer. Hermione stood up to open the door to the compartment. _

"_Well, d'you want to sit with us?" Draco asked. Harry looked at him disbelievingly, wondering what had possessed him to ask this strange girl to sit with them. _

"_If you insist," she said airily, but her flushed cheeks revealed her relief. _

_Draco smiled at her. "I'm Draco Malfoy. Good to meet you." He held out his hand. _

_Her eyebrows raised as she took his hand gratefully, clearly glad to have a friend. "Good to meet you too."_

* * *

"Mrs. Weasley, this is delicious," Draco complimented, digging into his dinner. He was starving after spending all day playing a Seeker's match with Harry.

"Oh, thank you, Draco," Mrs. Weasley responded, smiling at him warmly. "It's always nice to have you here."

Draco turned his attention to his food again. He felt Ron's harsh glare, but he promptly ignored it. That prick had made it his mission to make him feel unwelcome in the Weasley home since he'd gotten here.

"So, when are you leaving, Malfoy?" Ron asked coldly, squeezing his fork in his hand.

"Oh, shut it, Ron," Harry inserted, immediately coming to Draco's defense.

"Yeah, mate," Fred chimed in, stealing a piece of bread off of Ron's plate. "Draco's much more fun to be around than you these days, anyway."

"Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley scolded him, smacking him on the back of his head. "Draco is welcome to stay for as long as he likes. And you will treat him like you would any other guest!"

"Yes, mum," Ron mumbled, looking properly shamed.

Draco hid his smile behind his hand. Ron knew perfectly well that the meeting with the Order of the Phoenix ended tomorrow, but he was unwilling to accept the fact that Draco was as much a part of the Order as Harry was.

"Where's Sirius?" asked Fred, looking around as if Sirius was hiding under the cupboards in the kitchen.

"Back at Grimmauld Place," Remus responded, a trace of sadness in his voice.

"You're going to pop the question any day now, yeah?" Fred asked. "He'd be thrilled to move into your place."

"Yeah, mate," George added. "Better not wait too long. It's been… what is it, three years?" He raised his eyebrows. "Take it to the next level."

"I don't need _you two_ to give me advice about my relationship with Sirius," Remus scolded them, his pink cheeks giving away his embarrassment.

"We're just trying to help you out," they chorused together, shrugging. It was almost uncanny how in sync they were.

"So," George said, clapping his hands to capture their attention. "Quidditch game tomorrow? Anyone?"

"I'm in," Harry told him.

"Me too," Draco added, using his fork to grab another potato.

"Actually, Draco, we're working on getting your Patronus tomorrow," Remus inserted.

He waved his hand. "I can do that the next day, can't I?" He looked to Harry for backup.

His friend shrugged. "Sorry, mate, Lupin's right. You've got to get it soon. There'll only be more dementors to face when Voldemort gets closer."

Draco sighed. He'd never been able to master a Patronus charm, unlike Harry, who had gotten it down in third year. Remus had been helping him along, but he was still woefully unprepared against any dementors. "Fine."

The front door slammed open as Mad-Eye Moody came through, his uneven steps alerting them all to his presence. "Death Eater attack on Diagon Alley," he grunted. "We need to go."

Draco and Harry glanced at each other. "We're going," Harry said, echoing both of their intentions.

"No," Remus said immediately. "You two are too valuable to him. If you're captured…"

"Then we won't get captured," Harry interrupted. "We can handle it."

"He's right," George said. "They can handle it."

"We can't take the Malfoy boy," Moody said gruffly. "He's too much of a liability. And who knows what he'll do."

"I can take care of myself," Draco responded distinctly. "And just because I'm a Malfoy doesn't mean I won't fight back as hard as any of you."

"Well, Harry?" asked Remus, turning in his direction. "It's your decision. Is he going or not?"

"I trust him with my life," Harry said, the severity of his leaving no room for argument. "He's coming with us."

Remus nodded. Draco left to grab his broom, and they departed for Diagon Alley, deciding to fly because Floo would leave them defenseless.

It was absolute chaos. They were surrounded by screaming witches and wizards. Some of the stores were on fire, and Draco saw a figure in a silvery mask deliver the killing curse to a woman in the window. He saw more Death Eaters flying overhead on broom in large, billowing robes. People were running in all different directions, tripping over each other in their haste to get out of the tiny alleyway.

"Split up," Moody shouted. "We're trying to protect the people here, not trying to kill Death Eaters. But don't hesitate to point your wand at anything in a mask."

They separated, and Draco headed for the Three Broomsticks. He saw the glow of a Dark curse flashing in the building, and a scream. He ducked in through the door, hiding behind a table.

A tiny child was crouched behind a chair. She couldn't have been more than six years old. She looked frightened out of her mind, her arms wrapped around her knees. She flinched when there was another crash outside.

Draco peeked his head out and, noticing the Death Eater must have been upstairs, crouched and ran over to where the young girl was sitting. He quickly cast a silencing spell so the hooded figure wouldn't hear them. "I need you to run," he said, keeping his voice quiet in case the spell wouldn't last long. "I won't be able to follow you out, but I'll be able to protect you with a few charms. Alright? Can you do that for me?"

She didn't answer, her eyes widening in fright.

"I'm going to need you to run very, very fast. You can't look back. Is anyone else in here?"

"My mum's upstairs," she whispered. "I don't know if she got out."

"I'll go upstairs to see if she's alright, but _only _if you run," Draco said.

She eyed him warily. "Do you promise?"

He thought fast, knowing the most important part was getting her out safe. "Can you keep a secret?"

She nodded silently.

"Have you ever heard of the Order of the Phoenix?"

"My mum used to tell me stories about it. She told me they're the good ones," she said quietly.

"Well, I'm part of the Order. There are other members here, too, and we can get your mum out of here. Yeah? But I need for you to get out first."

She nodded, looking determined.

"Alright," he whispered. "On the count of three, you're going to run very, very quickly to the front door. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Alright?" She nodded again. "One… two… three!"

When she shot out from behind the chair, he immediately cast three shield spells and an extra disillusionment spell. A curse hit her from the left, but his _Protego_ just barely blocked it. Apparently the Death Eater had seen them. He breathed a sigh of relief when she was safely out the door, hoping she could get herself out of Diagon Alley.

It wasn't long before he felt his barricade rock with a magical curse, and knew it wouldn't last that much longer. When he felt it rock again, he stood up and shot back a stunning spell, which the figure in the mask blocked with an effortless shield spell.

He was about to duck again when the figure lowered its wand arm. He kept his wand up warily. Was a Death Eater actually surrendering?

The figure pulled off its silver mask, releasing long tresses of hair. Dark, curly brown hair.

"Hello, Draco," Hermione said, her voice sugary sweet, tucking the mask under her arm. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all!**

**I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own Sirius or Remus or any other awesome character in this story.  
**

**Thanks for reading. Reviews are very much appreciated!**

_Hermione and Draco hit if off right away. It turned out that Draco was just as interested in the history of magic as Hermione was, and though they attempted to pull Harry into the conversation, it was a lost cause. Draco had clearly found a person just as fascinated with knowledge as he was. _

_Hagrid warmed to Draco relatively quickly after meeting him. Draco had never had friends his own age before, but it seemed he was decent at making them. He rather liked Hermione, and Harry wasn't like any other kids he'd met. Most of the kids he knew were purebloods, raised around their prejudiced parents who insisted they never let loose, never have fun, and look down their noses at muggleborns and half-bloods. The proper pureblood life had never really suited him. _

_Draco had been told about the Sorting Ceremony when he was very young, nearly seven years old. After meeting Harry and Hermione, he knew immediately that Harry would most likely be sorted into Gryffindor and Hermione into Ravenclaw. _

_He also remembered that his father informed him that if he wasn't sorted into the right house, he would be transferred to Durmstrang. "No son of mine will be anything other than a Slytherin," he had said. He remembered the feeling of his father's cold gray eyes, like steel, boring into his._

_Somewhere in the crowd, he heard someone shouting Harry's name. Draco felt a sense of déjà vu as the red-headed boy shouted, "You're Harry Potter!"_

"_Nice to meet you," Harry said uncomfortably, trying to get around him so he could get to the Great Hall. _

"_I'm Ron Weasley," the boy claimed. He appeared to notice Draco, who was standing next to Hermione, flipping through the pages of _Hogwarts, a History_. "What are you doing with that sort?" he asked, shooting Draco an accusing look. "You don't want to hang with a Malfoy, mate. He'll be a Slytherin, and everyone knows Slytherins are evil." _

_Harry raised his eyebrows, looking less than impressed. "I think I can figure out who's 'evil' for myself."_

_Ron look shocked as Harry walked right past him, followed by Draco and Hermione. Draco couldn't help from blurting out, "he's kind of right, you know."_

_Harry looked at him incredulously. "You are the _least_ evil person I know. And trust me, I know a lot of bad people."_

"_No, I just mean that I'm going to be sorted into Slytherin. And you're going to be sorted into Gryffindor."_

"_So?"_

"_Well..." He tried to think of a way to explain it. "Slytherins and Gryffindors aren't supposed to be friends. They're supposed to be rivals."_

"_Who cares?"_

_Draco looked absolutely dumbfounded. Before he could even attempt to answer, a woman in a long black robe spoke from the podium. _

"_Good evening," she started. "My name is Professor McGonagall."_

_She commenced with her opening speech, and Draco completely zoned out during Dumbledore's welcome. It wasn't until McGonagall called out the first name that he snapped out of it. As each name was called, he dreaded it more. As expected, Hermione was quickly sorted into Gryffindor. _

"_Malfoy, Draco!" _

_He made his way up to the stool. When the Sorting Hat was placed on his head, he suddenly heard a voice echoing in his mind, clear as a bell. _

Well, _the Sorting Hat said, _a Malfoy. But you're not like your father, are you? You're more suited for... Ravenclaw.

No_, Draco begged. _My father wants me in Slytherin. And I want to stay at Hogwarts.

You'd do well in Ravenclaw,_ the Sorting Hat countered, and after a beat of silence, continued. _Well, if that's what you want. _"Slytherin!"_

_There was a cry of triumph from the Slytherin table as Draco cast an apologetic glance towards Harry and Hermione. But Harry only grinned at him, shrugging; Hermione gave him a small smile and turned to her book. _

_And somehow, Draco knew that their friendship would survive._

* * *

All he could think was that _she didn't look any different_. Other than the subtle smirk on her face, she looked the same. Her hair was the same mess it had always been, her eyes the same captivating chocolate brown they'd been the day he'd first met her on the train to Hogwarts. He thought she would have changed; he thought she'd look like a different person than the girl he'd studied with in the Hogwarts library, the girl who'd lectured him about sneaking firewhiskey into the Slytherin dorm.

But maybe she'd always been like this; maybe there had always been a coldness in her eyes and a certain indifference to everything around her. Maybe he'd just been too blind to see it.

"Drop your wand," he said.

She raised her eyebrow. "Or what? You'll hex me?" She smirked, running her fingers along the wall, admiring the destruction she'd caused. "Oh, Draco, I thought we were beyond common schoolboy tricks."

"You're Voldemort's protégé. Aren't you too important to participate in a little raid?" he countered.

"My Lord would beg to differ," she drawled, a grin stretching across her face. "I never miss the chance to have a little fun."

It felt like his chest was caving in on itself. He hadn't seen her in months, and suddenly she was right in front of him. Someone else. Someone terrible and cruel and uncaring.

"Speaking of which," she continued. "You just _had _to try to save that little half-blood girl. What a pity," she sighed. "I'm sure the Dark Lord will be pleased to make an example of the Malfoy blood traitor."

One second she was raising her wand to curse him and the next her wand had flown out of her hand, clattering to the floor behind her. She whipped around, shocked to see Harry with his wand pointing straight at her.

"You're going to face the Wizengamot for what you did," Harry said flatly. "I don't want to have to _Stupefy_ you."

"That _would _be a valid threat," she replied slowly, "if I hadn't been the one to teach you that spell in the first place."

And then she waved her hand. Her wand flew back into her grasp.

"It was lovely seeing you again, Draco," she told him, sending a soft smile in his direction, her eyes glittering with vindictive pleasure, and disappearing on the spot in a whirl of black robes.

"Well, shit," Harry said frankly. "Since when can she do wandless magic?"

"Obviously Voldemort's been teaching her a few tricks," Draco said distantly, shaking his head in an attempt to get her face out of his mind.

"The rest of the Death Eaters are gone," Harry told him. "You're lucky she didn't kill you. Why were you in here so long?"

"A little girl was hiding in here. She thinks her mum is around here somewhere."

"We have to leave. We can't stay around and risk all of our lives to find one woman..."

"I promised," he said firmly. He made his way past him and up the stairs, casting a disillusionment charm in case she was using it to hide. Unfortunately, even after checking every room, he discovered there was no one there.

Harry followed behind him, crossing his arms. "She's not here, Draco. She's bound to have gotten out."

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. If the Death Eaters were gone, that meant the little girl's mum was likely safe.

"We've got to leave. More Death Eaters could come back to survey the damage any minute," Harry told him, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Draco nodded, grabbing his wand and apparating them away. He couldn't care less about the underage magic laws at this point-but, then again, he never had.

He couldn't get comment Harry had made out of his mind. Why hadn't Hermione killed him? Especially since she'd obviously become a master of wandless magic. Why hadn't she cast the curse the second she saw him?

He knew it was useless thinking about it, but he couldn't help himself. Harry would have told him to get his head out of his arse and forget about her. He would have told him that Hermione had betrayed them in the worst way possible, and was beyond saving. It didn't matter how good of a friend she was, or what he'd felt about her all those years ago.

She had chosen her side. He just had to remember that.

* * *

They decided to hold the meeting of the Order at Grimmauld Place, just in case the Death Eater attacks were getting closer to home. Remus and Sirius insisted Draco and Harry go back to Hogwarts for their own safety, but they flat-out refused. There was no way they were going to be barred from the meeting because of some silly regard for their safety. They'd already been in plenty of danger over the years; this was no different.

As usual, they decided to have the Order meeting over dinner. Sirius had no idea how to cook, so he asked Kreacher to do the cooking for them, making sure to remember the revealing spell for poisons in case Kreacher was feeling especially vindictive. The little house-elf didn't have a reputation for being particularly helpful or tolerant towards anyone other than purebloods.

Most of the members were there. Moody was sitting in the chair at the end of the table, an angry scowl plastered to his face. Kingsley was prepared to start the meeting. Fleur and Bill had just arrived a couple of hours prior, and only two weren't present: Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape. Both were preoccupied at Hogwarts, and it had been widely accepted that Snape had made his position in the war clear when he had organized a mass betrayal against Dumbledore.

"From what I could tell, there was more property damage than casualties," Kingsley began, pulling his hat off of his head.

"It was almost a production," Bill inserted. "Like it wasn't about killing, it was about making a statement."

"Voldemort doesn't make statements to prove a point. He slaughters," Harry said disagreeably.

"No, she's right," Draco argued. "Voldemort targets muggles, muggleborns, and half-bloods. He almost never organizes the mass murder of ordinary wizards in their own territory."

"Diagon Alley is supposed to be a safe place for wizards," George added.

"He did it to prove he could," Sirius said flatly. "He did it to prove he could attack them at any time, any place."

"He's only getting more and more recruits on his side," Remus added. "There were more Death Eaters there than I've ever seen before."

Silence swept across the room as that sunk in. They all knew it was entirely possible Voldemort was getting more powerful, but to see that many Death Eaters in one place had been horrifying.

"Most of the Slytherins are following their parents' examples," Draco said quietly. "They're getting the Mark as early as fifteen."

"If we don't get more numbers, we don't stand a chance," Harry said.

Fred leaned forward, deciding to include himself in the conversation. "The group you two created last year. The..." He looked to Draco for the word.

"DA," he supplied.

"Right. The DA. Is it still meeting?"

Draco and Harry looked to each other, trying to remember the last time they'd called a meeting. It was with a jolt that Draco remembered the last time they'd met was at the end of fifth year.

"It's only Christmas," Harry said. "We _could_ reconvene after the New Year."

Draco tilted his head to the side, considering. "I suppose."

"We'll call it back to order," he said. "Hogwarts isn't any safer than it was last year, and it's not as if we're learning how to defend ourselves. If we can get more people to join..."

"Then we can get more recruits for the Order. Get some people to help us fight back," Draco finished, suddenly energized.

"It's too dangerous. You-Know-Who has spies in Hogwarts. You two could be found out," Sirius told them.

"They already know I'm a blood traitor," Draco pointed out. "And Harry has been safe so far."

"Harry has been safe because of his mother's protection. There is nothing protecting you, Draco, and you on know it," Sirius said, his eyes boring into Draco's. But the blonde refused to flinch.

"I have proven to you all that I can protect myself," Draco responded, his eyes sparking in rebellious spirit.

There was a beat of silence, only broken when Remus opened his mouth to speak. "Remember," he told them severely. "This is a war. We can't take any chances. So if you two are going to do this, you're going to do it _well_."

"Don't worry," Harry responded with a lopsided grin. "We'll be careful."

Draco had to smother his smirk at the obvious lie.


	3. Chapter 3

**My betas are, once again, simply awesome.  
**

**Here marks the continuance of the DA, to be led by Alexandra and Paige. I quite enjoy these characters; I like featuring them. Next chapter will mostly be Harry and Draco and the Order, so I thought I'd introduce you to the "new" DA. **

**Reviews are like shoes; I can't get enough of them. So, please, feed my addiction. **

* * *

_It was clear from the start that Draco was nothing like the other Slytherins. _

_He didn't ridicule and shun those from other houses. He didn't have clever, devastating comebacks at a moment's notice to use against anyone who insulted him. He was also somewhat... meek. It was without a doubt his intelligence rivaled that of Hermione's, but he didn't have the courage to stand and strike back when someone antagonized him. _

_Which, of course, made him the perfect target for most of the Slytherins and many of the Gryffindors. _

_Draco spent most of his time in library, especially during meals. When Hermione and Harry asked him why he never ate dinner with the rest of the Slytherins, he shrugged it off. He didn't tell them about some of the bullying that went on in the House (and outside of it). The two of them were really his only friends, and he wasn't about to make him think he was weak. _

_By the time second year rolled around, they still had no idea what was going on. He didn't share many classes with them, and any time he spent talking to them was spent in the library. _

_It wasn't until Hermione caught him in the hospital wing with a giant red welt on his neck that he thought she was starting to suspect something. He immediately claimed that this was the first one, a little prank between Slytherins. Luckily, Madame Pomfrey wasn't there to inform her that he had, in fact, been in the hospital wing numerous times due to stinging hexes._

_She let it go relatively quickly._

_He spent most of his nights alone until a girl dressed in Slytherin robes slammed her books down on the table in front of him, taking the seat directly across his. He briefly wondered if this was some kind of an ambush, but she merely said, "some of those other Slytherins are complete prats."_

_He raised his eyebrows, somewhat shocked. _

"_They're all acting like you're a bloody outcast. Frankly, I think anyone who spends this much time reading in the library is worth knowing." She held out her hand expectantly. "Hello, I'm Alexandra."_

_Bewildered, he shook her hand. She sat across from him, opening her charms book. "Are you studying for the Charms exam as well?"_

_She turned out to be the perfect study partner, and they ended up being great friends. Before long, she had convinced him to join the Slytherins in the Great Hall for meals. Even if she had to sit on the end of the table, separated from everyone else, she insisted on eating with him. Draco suspected he was more of a charity case than anything else, which irritated him more than he expected, but he wasn't about to confront her._

_They both tried out for the Slytherin Quidditch teams; Alexandra was placed as a Chaser, and Draco was placed as a Seeker. Soon, Draco was spending more time with Alexandra than either Harry or Hermione, because Alexandra seemed to understand his own experience as the outcast. He knew the second he told them about the targeted bullying, Harry would go on a rampage and Hermione would try to get them expelled through the school administration. _

_Hermione and Harry didn't confront him about his strange behavior. They only continued on, determined to pretend everything was fine. _

_It wasn't until a Quidditch game against Gryffindor that Draco realized something needed to be done. _

_The game was almost over, and Slytherin and Gryffindor were neck and neck. Harry and Draco had agreed a long time ago not to let the game get in the way of their friendship, and they were battling fiercely for the Snitch. He was only an inch farther than Harry, fingers almost closed around the snitch, when he saw something out of the corner of his eye: a Bludger colliding into the side of Alexandra's head, sending her hurtling off of her broom and onto the ground. The last thing he noticed was Ron Weasley's smug face, rolling the bat in his hands. _

_He dived down to check on Alexandra, horrified to see her dazed eyes as they suddenly slipped closed. Madame Pomfrey declared the game a draw, and Alexandra was carted off to the hospital wing. Just as Draco was about to follow them to make sure she was okay, he felt someone shove him. _

_Ron looked mildly surprised that Draco hadn't fallen over, but covered it quickly. "Sorry about your freak girlfriend, Malfoy," he said, smirking. "Maybe you should keep your bints off the field."_

_Draco had never felt so much hate in his entire life. His fists clenched as his anger swelled, and his brain offered about a hundred curses he could throw at the git right then and there. _

_But then he remembered Alexandra was injured, and he had plenty of time to make sure Weasley wished he was never born. _

_She was unconscious for a solid two hours, and it wasn't long before Harry and Hermione went to see if she was alright. _

_It was Hermione that spoke first. "We saw what Ronald did."_

"_And we heard what he said to you," Harry added. "Hermione told me about the stinging hex. Has he been targeting you?"_

_Draco shrugged, beyond caring. He was through with lying to cover up any of their arses, and he was through being a victim. "Among others."_

"_Why didn't you tell us?" Harry demanded. "God, I'm going to kill him."_

"_No," Draco said flatly, a strange calmness settling in his bones. "He only dies if the torture goes wrong."_

_Harry's eyebrows shot up, shocked by his change in attitude. "Um..."_

"_I'm going to speak to Professor Snape and persuade him to pair me up with Ron Weasley tomorrow in Potions," Draco said, heading towards the door._

"_Why?" asked Hermione, bewildered. _

_A somewhat sadistic smile stretched across his face. "You're a smart girl, Hermione. Figured it out yet?"_

_Her jaw dropped. She'd never seen Draco like this before._

_He ignored her expression and swept out of the room. He had a plan to put into motion. _

_Ron was paired with him for a potion the next day. Snape assigned them a hair-growing potion that would work instantly. Ron refused to do any work. Draco innocently suggested he test the potion out after he was done, since it was well known he had fantastic marks in Potions. It took thirty minutes to brew, and it turned out a lovely purple color, only a shade darker than Hermione's potion (which was, no doubt, flawless). _

_He scowled. "This better get me an Outstanding on this assignment."_

_Draco blinked serenely. "I'm sure it will be graded fairly."_

"_Bat spleens," Ron scoffed. "It's Snape. He never grades fairly. Lucky I'm paired with you, though, since he favors you over everyone else."_

_Draco rose an eyebrow, challenging Ron."Better drink it, then." _

_Ron put the bottle to his lips and took a deep drink, downing every drop. He slammed it down on the desk, looking at him accusingly. "Well, is my hair growing?"_

_And he had barely finished his sentence before his eyes closed and he slumped to the ground. Draco only watched him fall with a slight eyebrow raise. _

_The rest of the class turned to stare, someone eventually rushing over to see if Ron was alright. Draco merely stepped over him as students crowded around him, the strongest ones carrying him to the hospital wing. _

"_Draco," Harry said cautiously. "What happened?"_

_His eyebrows pulled together. "I added a few extra horned slugs. It must have created a more..." He paused. "Harmful concoction." He refused to let the satisfaction show on his face. _

_As expected, the duty of punishing Draco for his potions "mistake" fell on Professor Snape, who only gave him one after school detention, of which Snape didn't even bother to schedule. This caused some outrage among the Gryffindors, especially Ron's various minions. _

_Alexandra was out of the hospital wing in a few days, and Ron was out after a week. The minute he was released, he marched into the main hallway, spotting Draco's white-blonde hair out of the crowd. _

_He grabbed Draco's shoulder, turning him around to face him. Draco allowed himself to be handled, knowing there were a million ways he could defend himself if he had to. _

"_I know you screwed up the potion on purpose, Malfoy," he spat. Most of the students, hearing Ron's voice, halted and turned to watch the confrontation. _

_Draco seemed entirely unfazed. "What?"_

"_You screwed up the potion on purpose so I'd land in the hospital wing!" he shouted, and the main hallway was now eerily quiet. _

_Draco's eyebrows rose, unimpressed. A small smirk formed on his lips. "Accidents do happen, Weasley." _

"_You-" _

_Draco swiftly cast a silencing spell, so that every time Ron opened his mouth, not a sound escaped. "I don't like to be interrupted." He paused, watching amusedly as Ron's mouth continued to move angrily. "Now. As I said, accidents happen. But they're far more likely to happen when I am angry."_

_Ron's mouth shut immediately. _

"_And those accidents will _continue _to happen if you ever harm any of my friends again. Do we understand each other?"_

_Ron's jaw dropped, shocked that Draco was standing up so successfully against him. _

"_Good," Draco said, taking that as the right answer. "Now you're going to turn around and go back to your common room, Weasel, before any more _accidents _occur."_

_Clearly scared, Ron turned on his heel and walked towards the Gryffindor common room. No one in the main hallway dared make a sound. _

_Draco didn't seem to register their presence, and only started to walk his way towards his own common room. The students created a path for him instantly. _

_Needless to say, Draco never encountered a stinging hex again._

* * *

"DA meeting tonight, seven PM, got it?" Alexandra asked Paige, who nodded agreeably. "Good, I've got some new Slytherin recruits. Not many, but enough to start."

"Perfect," Paige replied, smiling. "Plenty of younger Gryffindors. Have you talked to the Ravenclaws?"

"Again, many of them just won't give up their study time. But I've gotten a few more."

"Hufflepuffs honestly don't understand anything," Paige sighed.

"Hufflepuffs are people, too!" Alexandra giggled. "Gotta run. I'm trying to convince Pansy, so I'll need all of the time I can get."

Paige snorted. "Good luck with Pansy. Honestly, I would prefer it if the bitch-"

"She's a good friend of Draco and Blai-" Alexandra stopped suddenly, biting down on her lip.

"Alex-" Paige began.

Alexandra waved her off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I'll see you at the DA meeting."

A couple hours later, with quite a lot of manipulations and persuasive speeches, Alexandra managed to drag Pansy, Daphne, Tracey, Astoria, and a few younger Slytherins and Ravenclaws to the DA meeting. Seeing Paige, Alexandra left her friends and joined her at the front.

"Attention!" Paige shouted, but the clamoring students didn't hear her.

"OI! SHUT IT!" Alexandra shouted, using her infamous inside-voice. The room instantly quieted.

One of the boys in the back, a tall dark-haired sixth year named Caine, stood up and gave an arrogant sneer. "You're telling me this group is being run by a bunch of _girls?_" he drawled.

Paige raised one eyebrow. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Caine gave a dramatic shrug. "Oh, I just thought it was a well-known fact that boys are better than girls at fighting."

"Oh, is that what you think?" Paige asked coolly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Caine, gaining confidence now, widened his sneer. "No offense, sweetheart, but I think you'd better let one of the men run this meeting."

Paige exchanged a look with Alexandra. She just gave a simple nod.

Paige turned her head back towards Caine and gave a small sigh. "I can't say I will regret doing this."

By the time Caine's head hit the back wall of the Room of Requirement with an audible crack, Paige's wand was out and pointed straight at his heart. She strode across the room casually and stopped when she was halfway to the back of the wall where Caine was eagle spread, held suspended by the bounds of the wordless curse. Her wand lowered as Paige flicked her hand and he slid to the floor on his knees. The curse had knocked the breath out of him when he hit the wall, and he struggled to his feet, drawing his wand and pointing it at her, trying to get a spell out to fight back.

He managed a "_Stupefy_!"

She deflected the spell easily with a flick of her wand and cast a nonverbal body-binding spell. "Pathetic."

Waving her wand, she sent Caine spinning through the air and landing a few feet back on his hands and knees. He quickly scrambled to get up, stumbling as he pointed his wand at her.

Alexandra snorted. Paige shook her head slowly. "It's almost sad watching you struggle."

She raised her wand and flicked it nonchalantly. Caine's wand flew out of his hand and struck the wall, rolling to the floor.

She smirked. "_Almost._"

She took a deep breath, mostly for the dramatic effect, and once again lifted Caine off his feet and sent him hurtling towards the flaming basin in the corner of the room. He let out a terrified scream, which sounded surprisingly like a little girl's. Just as his pants came inches from the flame, he stopped moving, suspended in mid-air above the fire.

"LET ME GO!" he shouted, "I want to be let down!"

A lazy, sarcastic smile spread across Paige's face. "Yeah, and people in hell want some nice, cold butterbeer."

Then she dropped Caine. He barely had time to scream before Paige yelled, "_Evanesco!_" and the flames vanished, Caine landing on his arse on the brass bottom of the basin.

Paige strolled over to the basin, twirling her wand in her fingertips. She approached the cowering Caine and stuck her wand in her back pocket. With a flick of her left wrist Caine was up and out of the basin, suspended in midair, and Paige grabbed the collar of his shirt in her right hand, letting him fall on his feet.

"Oh." Paige swept Caine's leg out from under him, causing him to fall flat on his back to the ground. She crouched down next to him. "If you ever call me sweetheart again, I will not hesitate to kick your arse. Because this little stunt?" she asked, motioning to the damage she'd caused with a wave of her hand, "is not _nearly_ all I can do."

She stood up and strode to the front of the room, taking her place next to Alexandra. The rest of the DA watched her awed silence.

"So. Anyone have any other questions?" she asked, smiling.


	4. Chapter 4

** Okay, so most of you probably thought I abandoned this story. I promise I haven't. I've got no excuse besides "I'm busy". But here's the new installment!**

** Hopefully I've written acceptable fluff, so please drop a review to help me out. Some of this may seem random to you, but I had to put it in, because I've been inspired from some stuff from my life (especially the whole "coming out" thing). Don't worry, next chapter will be more substantial. **

* * *

_Third year managed to roll around after a few run-ins with spiders, a giant basilisk, and a petrified cat. Draco became known as the Slytherin Prince after he proved that the way he'd gotten revenge against Ron wasn't a fluke. The entirety of Hogwarts now knew that Draco Malfoy was not, under any circumstances, to be trifled with._

_ It followed that he gained a few friends from that experience._

_ The trio was stronger than they ever had been. Hermione, Harry, and Draco hardly ever spent any time apart. No one in Slytherin even mentioned the fact that Draco's best friends were from Gryffindor. Draco's roommate, Blaise, became one of his closest friends. Blaise introduced him to Pansy, and soon all six of them, including Alexandra, were sitting at the end of the Slytherin table, completely disregarding the rules about House members sitting at the designated House tables._

_ Ginny had also become a permanent fixture in their little group. She was surprisingly more amicable than obnoxious brother, and after they had met Fred and George, they decided not all of the Weasleys were pompous gits. _

_ It was just before Christmas, third year, that Blaise blurted out, "I fancy Alexandra."_

_ Draco looked up from his Ancient Runes textbook and raised an eyebrow. "Listen, mate, we've known you fancied Alexandra for a while now."_

_ "Is it that obvious?"_

_ Draco shrugged. "I'm not sure if she knows, but everyone notices how you look at her."_

_ Blaise rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "I'm thinking about asking her to Hogsmeade."_

_ "I would say that's a good plan."_

_ "But what if she doesn't fancy me back?"_

_ "Well, I'm certain she'll tell you if she doesn't."_

_ "Don't act like it's so easy," Blaise countered, taking a seat in the red armchair across from Draco. "You've fancied Hermione for a year now and you've yet to ask her out."_

_ Draco cocked his head to the side. He did have a point. _

_ Pansy chose that moment to walk into the room, a cup of tea in her hand. "Are we discussing Blaise's obsession with Alexandra?"_

_ "Unfortunately," Draco responded. _

_ "I say you bite the bullet," Pansy told Blaise. "Ask her out."_

_ "Yes, but…"_

_ "What could you possibly have to lose?"_

_ He stared at her incredulously. "Well, for one, her friendship." He looked around the room self-consciously, as if he was afraid of anyone hearing them, even though there was no one else in the common room._

_ She shrugged. "I reckon she likes you back. I would go for it."_

_ He raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? Like you don't have a crush you're not sure likes you back." _

_ "Not currently." She tilted her head to the side, thinking. "Although I've come to a rather essential realization."_

_ "And that is?" Blaise asked, curious._

_ "I think I'm bent."_

_ They stared at her, completely shocked. "Wait," Draco said. "How exactly do you figure that you're bent?"_

_ "Well," she said slowly. "I am attracted to birds and not blokes."_

_ "That would make her bent, mate," Blaise chimed in._

_ "Okay, then," Draco responded, completely lost on what to say. "I suppose that's that, then. Blaise, you should just ask her to Hogsmeade this Saturday. Pansy… well, that's wonderful, I suppose."_

_ "You're right," Blaise said determinedly. "I'm going to do it."_

_ So, when it came to Saturday and the eight of them were in their heaviest winter coats, Blaise cleared his throat. "Alexandra," he started, shifting his feet. "Can I talk with you? Alone?"_

_ She raised her eyebrows, surprised. "Of course."_

_ When they were alone, he cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice was steady. "Well, I was wondering if you… well, if you would like to go to Hogsmeade."_

_ "But we're already going to Hogmeade," she said slowly, as if she was speaking to a small child. _

_ He laughed nervously. "No, I meant… if you'd like to go to Hogsmeade. With me. So it would only be the two of us."_

_ "You mean a date," she clarified. _

_ "Um," he paused, wondering if he should back out at the last moment. "Yes."_

_ A brilliant grin appeared on her lips, making her eyes light up. "Wow, Zabini, I thought you'd never grow a pair."_

_ He laughed, and she latched their hands together. She turned around to shout at the rest of the group, who were all quiet and listening intently from a distance away. "We're going off alone. Don't wait up."_

_ "I thought they'd never stop dancing around each other," Harry muttered. "Thank Merlin."_

_ They all laughed and linked arms, not including Alex and Blaise. It turned out they were an established couple by the end of the next week, and the Slytherin boys all asked how Blaise had gotten the prettiest and smartest girl in Slytherin. _

_ But Blaise had only shrugged, mystified himself. _

* * *

Draco had developed somewhat of an alliance with Pansy over one thing: he understood her better than her other friends could ever hope to. And that was because he had been in love with Hermione for years without her showing the slightest interest in return.

So, when Pansy was feeling particularly alone or really hopeless, she firecalled Draco for advice. He'd gone through it before. And he was always sure to be there when her face was in the glowing embers.

"So what's on your mind, Parkinson?" he asked casually, but they both knew that question was practically rhetorical.

"She's got a boyfriend," Pansy said glumly. "Dean Thomas."

"Ginny went for _Dean Thomas_?" Draco asked disbelievingly. "That's such an odd pair."

"Yes, well, now I'm stuck watching them across the hall all snuggled up like a married couple. They _feed_ each other at breakfast. It's disgusting."

"Ah, so you've stopped eating at the Gryiffindor table, I presume?" Pansy and Ginny had become rather close during fourth and fifth year, and they unfailingly sat together at every meal. How Ginny had allowed Pansy to slip away like that, Draco didn't understand.

"She will only sit next to _him_," she said quietly. "I've just… I haven't talked to her in so long, and it doesn't seem like she misses me that much."

"Oh, come on, Parkinson. She must have said something to you."

Her face tilted to the side. "Well, I suppose she came to me during Potions and asked if we could study better, but I just made some rubbish excuse about having plans."

"She's going to be even more upset if you keep pushing her away."

"She has a boyfriend now. She doesn't need me." Draco couldn't see her body, but he could imagine Pansy shrugging uncomfortably. This was the only time Pansy let her guard down to show her own insecurities: when she was talking to Draco about Ginny. No one else knew about her ongoing infatuation, not even Harry.

"She loves you."

"Not in the way I want her to," she said sharply, her eyes narrowing. She bit her lip, which Draco knew she only did when she was trying not to cry. "I suppose… well, I'm just so _tired _of this all. I want to get over this. I want to fall in love with a safe bloke from Slytherin."

"Sorry, love, but I'm afraid that ship has sailed," Draco informed her frankly. Truthfully, he didn't think Pansy's infatuation was all that unrequited. He had caught Ginny staring at Pansy way too many times for her to be completely straight. Once, he'd asked her what bloke she'd fancied and she stammered out "Oh, well, no one. No one you know."

"It's just so _painful_, yeah? I can't watch her with him. It's… it's like a knife that drives into my heart and twists tighter _every day_. And it doesn't even matter, because she's straight as a fucking arrow."

He empathized with her. And the fact was, he couldn't tell her anything to make her feel better. All he could do was listen to her.

"Anyway," she sighed abruptly. "I'm sorry I'm unloading all of this on you. You two must have more important things to do."

He didn't, actually. Sirius and Harry were out playing Quidditch, the twins were working on their next great prank, Remus was reading, and all of the other members of the Order had gone back to London. Harry and Draco were both returning to Hogwarts the next day. "It's fine. Really. But you're going to have to find an excuse for why you've been avoiding her so much eventually."

"No, I don't think I do," she said stubbornly. "I'm not going to lose her." _Like you lost Hermione_ went unsaid, but it _hurt_ thinking about that. He'd been trying not to think about her, but she just stayed in the back of Draco's mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Drake," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright," he said brusquely. "It's not your fault. And besides, dinner is about to start, so I had better go."

She looked doubtful. "Okay."

And then the connection between them died out.

* * *

Sirius and Harry were at a stalemate when Molly yelled for them to come inside for dinner.

Harry asked Sirius how he'd gotten so good at Quidditch when he had never played on a team, and he'd merely shrugged. "James always made Remus and I play against him. We picked up a few tricks."

They had a little bit of distance to walk back, because they didn't want to fly back in order to avoid Molly Weasley's wrath. She insisted they didn't fly into her house, because last time Ron had flown in with a broom he'd broken one of their old family heirlooms. Therefore, everyone was banned from flying anywhere _near _the Weasley front door.

"Well, Harry," Sirius said abruptly. "I think I'm going to propose to Remus tonight."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Wow, I thought you two would never make it official."

"It was official," Sirius said defensively.

"Right, just a sort-of relationship that lasted three years without _either _of you mentioning any plans for the future. Completely official."

"Oh, shut up," Sirius shot back, and Harry could barely hold back a grin. Honestly, it was as if they were the same age; they didn't seem to have any difference in level of maturity. "Fine, then, I'm making it official now."

"Good for you, mate."

He took a deep breath. "I'm not sure if he even wants to get married."

"It doesn't hurt to ask."

"It does when I do it in front of the entire Weasley family, not to mention you two." He didn't have to explain "you two" meant "Draco and Harry".

"Then take him out for a stroll in the forest or something. I don't know. Be romantic. And if he says no, don't make a big deal out of it."

"But what if he's freaked out and breaks up with me? What do I do then?"

"Stop being such a teenage girl! Lupin is _not _going to do that," Harry insisted. At least, he hoped he didn't. Those two just needed to figure things out already.

"Really? How can you be so sure?"

And they were stopped in front of Mrs. Weasley's house. "Well, it's now or never." Harry grinned suddenly. "Remus! Sirius wants to talk to you!"

Sirius nearly elbowed him in the stomach, but he dodged it quickly. "Good luck."

When Remus climbed down the stairs and asked what was wrong, Sirius took a deep breath. "Would you like to go on a walk with me?"

Remus, although looking increasingly concerned, followed behind him. They made their way to one of the paths along the tiny little creek near the house in total silence. Every once in a while, Sirius would open his mouth only to close it again, and keep walking.

Finally, Remus couldn't take it anymore. "What is going on, Sirius?"

Startled, Remus stopped along the path and cleared his throat. "Well… you know, I've known you my entire life, Rem. And I can't _imagine _what my life would have been like without you there, every step of the way."

Remus was just standing there, eyes wide, feet glued to the same spot. Motivated by nervous energy, Sirius plowed on. "I had a crush on you for as long as I remember, and it wasn't until the end of seventh year when I realized I was madly, irreversibly in love with you." He swallowed nervously. "I couldn't believe it when I found you _believed _me when I said I never betrayed James and Lily. I couldn't believe that you'd been waiting for me when I escaped from Azkaban."

Remus kept his eyes on him, wondering what he would do next.

Sirius slowly dropped to his knee, his hand reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box. "I don't want to waste any more time without you, Remus. I want to be with you forever. Would you marry me?"

For a second, Remus stayed frozen. And then his hand reached forward and grabbed onto the box. Tears gathered at his eyelids. "Are you… proposing, Padfoot?"

And then Sirius smiled, feeling his eyes filling with tears as well. "Yes, I am. Sorry if it wasn't romantic enough, but I thought…"

He was cut off by a kiss. Remus launched himself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck as he wound his fingers in his hair, smiling against his lips. Neither of them could stop smiling. Sirius was filled with a sort of elation that reached every part of his body; his hands refused to let go of his fiancée.

When Remus finally pulled away, he wiped away his tears and said, "Well, you better put it on me, you idiot."

Sirius laughed, the sound echoing through the air as he slipped the golden ring onto Remus' finger. And Remus leaned forward to kiss him again, both of them happy never to move.


End file.
